For hundreds of years, mankind has been fascinated with the propulsion of objects with black powder and the technology for enabling it. Whether launching a cannonball thousands of yards or firing a handgun, the act is an amazing and exhilarating experience. For the hobbyist, discharging a fully automatic weapon is invigorating and can be an incredibly fun and enjoyable sporting experience.
Many people have never experienced firing a fully automatic weapon. Fully automatic weapons—weapons which fire multiple rounds in response to a single trigger pull—are heavily regulated at both the state and federal level. Due in part to such legislation, but also because of low supply and complexity of manufacture, fully automatic weapons can be incredibly expensive.
As a result of the high price, low supply, and heavy regulation of fully automatic weapons, most hobbyists own only semi-automatic weapons. For purposes of definition, semi-automatic weapons are distinguished from fully automatic weapons in that semi-automatic weapons fire only a single shot for each pull of the trigger. There is thus a one-to-one correspondence between the discharge of a round from the firearm and depression of the trigger of the firearm in a semi-automatic weapon. Continuously depressing the trigger of a semi-automatic weapon does not result in the weapon discharging more than one bullet.
Various attempts have been made to modify semi-automatic weapons to fire in a fully automatic mode. However, these modifications usually involve dismantling the weapon and fundamentally altering the mechanisms that control firing. Not only are modifications such as these generally illegal, but they are also highly dangerous.
Others have attempted to supplement semi-automatic weapons with mechanisms that allow them to fire rapidly. However, these changes often make the weapon unstable, such that the owner cannot achieve precision or accuracy while shooting, and in some cases, may render the weapon dangerous, illegal, or both. An improved way of firing a semi-automatic weapon like a fully automatic weapon is needed.